Waiting Isn't Good Enough
by sanctum-c
Summary: Tifa and Aeris wait for someone to come back.
1. Waiting

Still nothing at the town entrance. Tifa huffed. No Shinra yet. Their arrival- No SOLDIERs, should be dramatic and exciting. A whole convoy of vehicles or a huge helicopter swooping out of the sky. She leant back back on one hand and tipped her hat up with the other. Nothing up there but unbroken blue; not even clouds today. Still possible. She fidgeted. "Calm, calm," she murmured to herself and glanced around. Fortunately no one close by who might have noticed the nervous excitement currently at fever pitch. Ever since the positive response to her father's petition for Shinra assistance arrived it had been impossible to ignore her own rising sense of excitement.

SOLDIER were coming to Nibelheim. Well, a SOLDIER was coming to Nibelheim. Or should that be coming back to Nibelheim? Cloud Strife would be returning home today after a rousing success in the last two years. It made sense; who else would they send to a remote mountain town than the one who started off there? The evidence all fit; the others who had gone to MIdgar after him could not find him. Obviously he had been busy training, or off on missions. Shinra did not seem keen to make it easy to find out about their star SOLDIERs. Sephiroth tended to dominate conversations and of course there were other SOLDIERs but no one seemed to bother talking about them. No one but the most dedicated could name another. Another like Cloud Strife.

Cloud was coming back home; the thought sent a rising thrill through Tifa's chest. The first child of Nibelheim who left seeking fame and fortune to come back with both. Odd how things had turned out in the end. The two of them barely talked and never played together. But just like every other boy who went to Midgar, Cloud had called her to the well before he left to say goodbye. But unlike the others there was no solicitation of a kiss or anything further - something Tifa flatly refused each time. No proposals or promises to come back and sweep her off her feet. In the end she had to push for a promise from him and he had been reticent. He agreed eventually - and to such a small thing; vowing to rescue her if she ever needed help.

Her cheeks warmed. The embarrassing request of a thirteen year old who had spent that whole month reading romantic stories of knights in shining armour and the damsels they saved. She had stopped herself from mentioning the white horse at least. The phase passed almost before Tifa noticed; now a new story held her intrigue - the fantasy of a soldier desperate to save her sister and defying the gods of her world as she did so. Not the best basis for her; Tifa could only handle a sword poorly. The town boasted very few firearms and there was little need for them in the town. Master Zangan at least offered an opportunity to learn how to fight. He accepted her as a pupil less than a month after Cloud's departure. Now she could take care of herself - and the town if it came to it. Her frequent treks up Mount Nibel swiftly made her an expert in the terrain and the safest trails across the twisted summit in addition to chances to practice. Her job in the town. Not exactly traditional, but it allowed for so much freedom. And would allow her to be helpful to Cloud when he returned. Who better to greet the returning hero then the town's guide to the mountain and who happened to also be the mayor's daughter? Surely Cloud had achieved heroic deeds in his time at SOLDIER-

"Tifa?" Cloud's voice had deepened in his time away. He was smiling down at her; arrived while she was lost in thought. His hair was still spiky; SOLDIER could not change all of him. He looked taller, his shoulders broader, garbed in the purple uniform of a First Class SOLDIER. He reached down, his hands calloused, rough, but so warm. He kept hold even when she was on her feet.

"I missed you," Tifa said, unable to take her gaze from his dazzling smile.

"I missed you too." He ducked his head. "I've been thinking about you ever since I left." Cloud looked deep into her eyes. "I thought about what I wanted to say to you when I came back."

"Yes?" Breathing was difficult, her heart thundering in her chest.

"Tifa Lockhart-" Cloud fumbled with something in his pocket as he bent down onto one knee. The gold thread of an engagement necklace hung from his fingers. "-Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes," Tifa whispered. "Yes!" She repeated louder. "Yes, of course!" Cloud rose, fingers trembling a little as he undid the clasp and threaded the necklace around her neck. He rose a moment later and they kissed- Just a chaste touch of lips for now. More would have to wait for later. But hopefully not too long. So much they now needed to do and prepare for. The wedding was a little hurried, just under a week later. Father grumbled it was all too sudden, and her dress - minor miracle that it was - could have been better with more time. But waiting was impossible; Cloud needed to go back to Midgar - and how could she stay behind now he had proposed to her?

It would not be forever; father was only assured after multiple promises from them both. They would come back and visit, and when SOLDIER granted Cloud retirement, of course they would settle down here. Dala Strife was in tears during the ceremony, and after father astonishingly shook Cloud's hand, asking him to take care of Tifa. Hard not to admire the necklace even as people congratulated her, admired her dress- And she could not stop looking at Cloud. Soon enough they were alone in the Nibelheim inn. Their wedding night. Cloud stripped the uniform from his body and reached out to undo her dress- Hopefully that van would be far away and stop distracting her-

Tifa blinked, her head spinning for a moment. The sun beat down with little heat in the frigid mountain air. The blue van's engine shut off. Could it be? Small, slightly beat-up vans were not the kind of thing she expected but- Tifa shook herself and scrambled to her feet. Cramped muscles revealed just how long she had been waiting. Not important now. A movement at the back of the fan and a flicker of silver. Silver? Shinra had sent Sephiroth of all people? An unexpected bonus; he could be the best man. He couldn't be alone could he?

Sephiroth appeared to be talking to someone else hidden by the bulk of the vehicle. A moment later he turned and walked towards the gate, the other figure stepping into view- A man with black spiky hair. Had Cloud dyed his hair? No. No, that was not Cloud approaching. Where was he? Two more figures appeared; nothing but Shinra infantry in their plain blue uniforms. No one else got out of the van as the group from Shinra approached.

Cloud was not here. He had not come back. Tifa turned on her heels, and rushed from the town, running up and up Mount Nibel before she realised what she was doing. Impossible to face them just yet; she would not be able to escape them forever given her role as their guide. Foolish to giddily volunteer for the duty, certain that Cloud would be the one she would help. Damn him for not coming back. Tifa clenched her fists as she ran to a secluded spot on the mountain to begin gathering her thoughts.

Aeris knelt on the hard wooden floor and sifted soil between the flowers. A fraction more light would be helpful, though hard to arrange. Short of tearing open a hole in the church roof- She shook her head. While it might help, it would only provide more light for a few hours each day when the sun was in the right position. The rest of the time the upper plate would be in the way. No good. Aeris shuffled around to the other side of the dirt mound and plunged her fingers into the soil.

The new seeds she buried cost her as much money as she made in three days of selling flowers, but it was impossible to resist the promise they held. The packet bore a striking illustration of the source flower somewhere green. They caught her eye in Wall Market and when she expressed interest, the woman running the stall informed her the seeds came from somewhere on the Eastern continent. Not that she could tell her quite where the seeds originated - and hopefully she had been telling the truth. Entirely possible they were yet another batch of seeds belonging to the same species found near Kalm. Disappointing, but any flowers were good, despite the Kalm species making up the bulk of her garden.

One day it would be nice to see even those blossoms in their natural habitat - out there in the wilderness beyond Midgar's walls. And while taking in the wilderness, she could venture to all the sights mentioned or glimpsed on the television or in books. It went without saying that she would bring samples back; how could she resist? And of course she would come back home; after all this time, how could she even consider leaving her garden to wither and die without her?

The wilderness called, but her home was here. Mom was here. The flowers too. Shinra remained a sore point, but she was - and had been for a long while - free from their clutches. And of course Zack would expect to come back and find her here. Just as soon as he got back from wherever his latest mission had taken him. A long three months since they last saw each other. Two months since his last, faint and slightly garbled call to the house phone. Nothing like having him in person, or even the ability to count down the days until they met up again. Distance made so many things complicated; he was based in Junon and she was stuck in Midgar. But his involvement with Shinra gave them ample opportunities to see each other.

Still hard to believe she could be involved with him; he a SOLDIER of the Shinra corporation. But for all the pained and painful memories - Hojo and the president staring at her through thick glass in amusement as her mother scowled - Zack was never anything less than gentle, respectful, throughtful and trust-worthy. But did Shinra know about the two of them? The company seemed to have spies and informants everywhere - and if nothing else it seemed near impossible that someone like Tseng would not know that one of their own was visiting this church in this sector of the slums everytime he set foot in Midgar.

How much could he do if they continued to see each other? Could he - if nothing else - assure her the company would leave her alone; that she could live her life how she wanted? Would that be enough or would they need to make things official? Her moving to Junon to be with him or him moving to Midgar and commuting the huge distance at the company's whims? Silly thoughts. It might have been two years since the beginning of their relationship, but ultimately they only spent a fraction of that time in each other's company. Still; she was thinking about him more and more-

"Aeris?" Aeris jumped at the sound and looked over her shoulder. Zack Fair stood in the middle of aisle smiling at her, his arms spread wide. Without a second throught, Aeris sprang up and raced towards him. She leapt into his arms, mucky fingers spreading mud across his uniform. Zack didn't seem to care in the slightest. She missed all of this; even just a simple embrace felt good, being so close to him. And now parting with him seemed beyond contemplation. She needed longer.

"So glad you're back," Aeris muttered into his shoulder. She kissed his cheek and tightened her embrace.

"Me too. Hey-" He pulled away from her and sank down onto one knee. His next words were no surprise, but the air left her lungs regardless. Zack opened a small box; inside was a carved materia ring. "Will you, Aeris Gainsborough, marry m-"

"Yes!" Aeris yelled, quivering in excitement. "Of course I will!" Her hand trembled and her heart thundered as Zack slid the ring onto her finger. Waiting was impossible. Aeris pulled him to his feet; Zack cupped her face with his hands and kissed her.

The wedding came a year later. Through a fortunate quirk, Zack was now assigned to duties in Midgar for the forseeable future. No need for long delays between occasions to see each other. No need to be apart any more than they had to during the day. He moved mom to a decent apartment and vastly better job on the upper plate just round the corner from the apartment the new couple shared. Far easier to live up here. Better air. Nicer food. But her roots were not easy to escape. She still took the train down each and every day to check on the flowers while Zack was at work, to bring the flowers back up.

But the best was still to come; soon- The thrill still threatened to overwhelm her- Soon she would accompany Zack on a mission. Something safe obviously and for the most part diplomatic. It didn't matter. What did matter was that the mission was overseas. Beyond Midgar, beyond Junon. It might even be where the seeds came from. Finally she would have a chance to see the world beyond for herself. New flowers to see. A world without a ceiling and without walls.

Aeris shook herself, dragging her gaze from the yellow blossom in front of her. Zack had not returned today. Honestly, the chances of such a convenient timing were unlikely, but fun to imagine. Zack would be back soon. At least she hoped he would be. Not today. But maybe tomorrow. Sometime soon.


	2. Moving On

Tifa thumbed through the tattered paperback, searching for something. She could not be sure what. The book had been read and re-read, a firm favorite since her teenage years, but she could find no passage she wanted to settle on now. The story of a woman defying the gods in a bid to save what little family she still possessed. And save the world in the latter stages. There was a certain amount of kinship there; but while the protagnist still had her sister, Tifa was left with no direct family any longer. Now she lived in the gutter; the Midgar slums. But there was one child here who needed her. Marlene needed them all and it was for her future Avalanche acted. Together they would stop Shinra.

Five years prior, once she awoke in the city, smouldering anger fuelled her attempts to find someone - anyone - who was prepared to work against the corporation. The Shinra electric company may not have set those fires in Nibelheim, nor given Sephiroth orders to slaughter the townsfolk, but they still needed to be held to account for their part in the massacre. They produced Sephiroth; the ultimate SOLDIER. And now she knew slowly, but surely, they were killing the world. Sephiroth was gone now; old news by the time she was able to read it. The papers had been filled with memorials and epitaphs, concern and worry over the loss of someone so powerful. At least she had not been witness to any of that. Not easy to pretend she felt sad that the man was now dead.

A word in the book caught her eye and Tifa paused on the current page. No good. Her thoughts were jumbled and without a hint of clarity as soon as she tried to read. Probably the heat; the air was far too hot and muggy right now. The air conditioner had packed in mid-afternoon, and the soonest anyone could be there to service it was sometime tomorrow. Tifa needed a distraction. Anything. Just so she didn't think about-

Tifa slammed the book down on her bed and started pacing. Her. Things had been so good with Aranea; six whole months - a record for her in the city, and particulalry note-worthy after some decidedly ill-advised previous dates. The less said about that Izunia fellow the better; Tifa suppressed a shiver. Hopefully he had fallen down a deep, dark hole... Luna had been more fun, though so guarded and never truly opened up to her. A few good dates and then-

Cidney - the mechanic in Sector four - had seemed right for her at first. Her interest had drawn comments from some over their apparent similar dress-sense. Horny simpletons the lot of them. But then Cidney seemed to have no interest in anyone; her drives and ambitions were all oriented around mechanical engineering and repair. It had been faintly amusing to see the assortment of openly lecherous men attempt to score dates with Cidney. She in turn paid them little mind and dismissed any resulting crudity out of hand. A chance encounter at Cidney's repair shop had lead to her meeting Aranea. A decent fighter; she would make an excellent sparring partner as Tifa dragged herself back up to the standard she held before everything went wrong. Maybe in the end she had been much like Undyne - her first romantic partner four years earlier.

Adult life was so very unlike the romances she read in her early teens. No valorous knights on white horses to rescue the princess. Tifa clicked her tongue. The city knew this too, and reacted in its fictions. There were stories of princesses who defied conventions and rescued other princesses. Not in emulation of the knights or the princes, but because it was what they wanted to, what they needed to do. Because it was the right thing to do. Undyne insisted she read one such novel. Stark contrast to her former reading. Before the fire and before she grew up.

Marriage was an absurd notion. No time nor need for it. No one was going to rush in and sweep her off her feet. Lecherous men would be happy to join her in bed and then brag of the experience the next morning to friends and strangers. A story, a notch, another score. Not what she wanted. But then there seemed to be no courtship in the city either; modern romance was nothing like the stuff her father insisted he went through with her mother. Here it was fine to lose your virtue with the first attractive stranger you met. The aftermath was divided by your social group; either scandalous or no one else's business.

More blows to her beliefs; another aspect that the world seemed determined to tear down and reveal as something other than her imaginings. Shinra, SOLDIER, love, romance. Nothing like the past. At least she still had hope. Hope for the downfall of Shinra, hope for a brighter future for Marlene and all of them. Tifa flopped back onto the bed, struggled to read for another moment and with a sigh dropped the novel onto the bedside table. Downstairs Wedge was tending the bar, and right now she was happy to leave him to it. Jessie was waistressing and Barret loomed in the doorway. Maybe some fresh air? Tifa made a face. Not that the air outside was exactly fresh, but it would take her out of the building and might help distract her. Tifa slipped away from the building and wandered down the path toward the station.

Aeris paused, sighed, and turned back to the flower bed. A few more flowers couldn't hurt. She crouched down and carefully broke a few additional stems from the mass of flowers in the heart of the church. A pang of regret settled in her chest a moment later. Too many; she never sold everything when she went out and the leftovers always made her feel bad. Lives snuffed out so she could sell the others. But at least it was a distraction from Asami. The girl who walked out three months ago, Aeris still coming to terms with her absence. Everything with her had seemed so easy, and so right. At first.

Asami was the rich socialite cavorting with a slum dweller; it sounded like the plot to a trashy romance novel. As if to compound that notion, Asami even owned a book with something similar as the plotline. It was - Asami often insisted - one of her favorites. Maybe that should have been a warning sign, a good reason for Aeris to not get involved and stay well away. But then, Asami had the dazzling smile, the perfect hair and skin. Even her make-up was perfect. Aeris sighed and stomped to the door. Asami had been so beautiful and so unlike anyone else Aeris had ever met before. As a result she kept justifying her actions in order to see her again. Oh, taking the train to the upper plate? Sure it was expensive, but people had more money up there than in the slums.

Not wholly accurate. People were more affluent - this was true - but they tended to balk faster at prices than anyone below the plate. Not that it mattered most of the time; her trips up would coincide with the times Asami was most likely to be in Sector Eight. Sometimes on her own, sometimes with friends. It never mattered; if Asami noticed her, she would break off whatever she was doing, insist on perusing Aeris's flowers and then start flirting with her. Some nights Aeris would blow off her alleged reason for even being there and accompany Asami back home or to a hotel. For coffee naturally. Other times when money was tight at home, Aeris resisted the impulse and remained in the sector selling flowers as best she could. Asami was certainly well off, but not seemingly so wealthy as to be able to shower Aeris with money. And yet she would still tease Aeris on those occasions when she did keep working, sometimes pushing her resistances to near breaking point. Thankfully Asami would usually stop in the end and elicit a promise of another meeting on another day. Always difficult to turn down the offer; as much as love making was wonderful, it did her little good when her belly had been empty for three days straight.

Not tonight - and likely never again. Aeris walked through Sector Five, her basket in the crook of her arm, staff ready. The terrain so familiar by now, almost mundane and effectively safe. As safe as Midgar ever was at least. But there would be no Asami in Sector Eight; she was gone from the city and now with someone new. Something beginning with a K? Aeris shook her head. The pair were off in Mideel or something like that, leaving Aeris behind in this city. But she was still going to the same place as if nothing had changed. Not for Asami; how could she even imagine she might turn around now? But there was always a chance. She might be back, realise she cared more for Aeris than she thought and- Some chance. Tonight would be just another evening in Midgar. Standing out in the cold as her legs began to ache and the chill crept under her dress. By night's end she would be stiff and cold and wanting nothing more than to collapse onto her bed.

The train was near empty as she headed up; rush hour was over and the upper plate night life was beginning. The evening crowd would be out in force. Aeris shut her eyes. She had to be better than this. Had she been seriously trying to sell as many flowers as possible, she would have caught the earlier train; when Shinra execs headed home to wives and husbands, when couples were just heading out for the night. Not the time when Asami would be there. Next time. Definitely the earlier train next time.

A few of her fellow passengers commented on her flowers and she sold a handful before the train pulled into the Sector Eight station. Good start. People always looked happier as they took a genuine flower from her. Some held them close and breathed in the scent, while some gifted it immediately to another. A tall lady with an eyepatch showed her the near dead bouquet she bought to surprise her date; it cost a small fortune and left much to be desired. She discarded it in favor of Aeris's superior flowers without another thought.

Things were looking up. Plenty of people still in Sector Eight. Aeris put on her best smile and walked slowly across the plaza, hoping to catch as many eyes as possible. Her basket was half gone by the time she reached Goblin's Bar. If sales continued this well she would be back home before midnight- Something flickered in the alley beside the bar. A green spark; Aeris walked closer.


	3. AU Ending - Someone New

Tifa never paid much mind to the gossip about a miracle flower girl in the slums. There was too much else to do; stay alive, keep the bar open. Keep Marlene and the rest of Avalanche safe in the shadow of Shinra. Still, the thought of someone selling flowers in the city was an entertaining day-dream. To have something living and green here in the city of metal and Mako would be wonderful. Well; green was well provided for within Midgar thanks to Mako leaks and the green tint in the lighting. But never a shade of green like in her memories; grass, leaves, just plants in general. Sometimes it was hard not to want to meet the person apparently - and impossibly - getting flowers and plants from somewhere to sell on. But each time she thought that, the notion seemed so pointless, so fantastical come the morning.

Until the day the flower girl walked into the Seventh Heaven. Pink dress, long brown hair, a wicker basket over one arm, and green eyes the likes of which Tifa had never seen before. She had to shake herself to stop staring as the newcomer surveyed the scene, seemingly taking no notice of Tifa at all. The flower girl moved from table to table smiling at each patron and offering her basket. Crumpled notes and coins passed back in exchange for the flowers. Most bought something; only a few shrugged and went right back to their drink. How anyone resist?

A customer drew her attention; Tifa turned her back to the bar to mix a cocktail and when she turned around, the flower girl was right in front of her. Tifa handed the man his drink, unable to pull her gaze from the new girl's face, hardly noticing if the man even paid. The girl was smiling at her. "Flower?"

Tifa blinked. "Sorry?"

"Would you like a flower?" The girl tilted the basket exposing a sea of colour. Hundreds of different flowers were crowded into the basket.

"Yes-" Tifa stopped reaching for the basket. "How much?"

The girl's grin widened. "One gil."

Tifa frowned. "That hardly seems fair for something so rare-"

The girl shrugged. "Price depends on the customer." Her smile was beautiful. "For you, that price is one gil."

Tifa fumbled in the till for a coin. "Just once please." The girl's hands were rough and calloused as they touched Tifa's; how much work did these flowers take? Tifa sniffed at the flower, the scent astonishing; how long since she last smelt anything like that? "I don't think I've seen you here before. Not that I mind. Seeing you I mean." Tifa bit her lip. Why was she babbling?

The girl smiled. "I don't normally come this far across the city. Just felt like it today." She dropped the coin into her basket. "It's nice here though. I'd like to come back. If that's okay?"

"Of course!" Tifa closed her eyes. Too fast, too eager. She licked her lips. "I mean; feel free to stop by in future. If you're in the area of course."

"Thank you." She glanced around. "You have a nice place here-?"

"Tifa," she said and held her hand out. The girl took it.

"Aeris. Until next time?"

"Until then," Tifa replied. She grinned, unable to look away as Aeris headed for the door. She paused in the doorway to glance over her shoulder and caught Tifa looking; Tifa's cheeks flared up. She looked away hurriedly, but curiosity forced her to look back a moment later. Aeirs was still looking at her and smiling. She waved and Tifa waved back. As Aeris vanished into Sector Seven, Tifa hoped it would not be long until her next visit.


End file.
